Santo Domingo, August (SEMlac). - Many pregnant women in Haiti take the risk of crossing the border to give birth in Dominican hospitals.This situation has been covered by the media and social networks. El Nacional newspaper said on August 25 that a military plan has been developed to keep these women under control.Last May 17, El Nacional quoted Dr. Nelson Rodríguez, director of the National Health Service (SNS), as saying that the Dominican government is investing over five billion pesos (around 106 million dollars) on medical care for Haitian pregnant women who are brought into the country by mafia groups.The Dominican Republic exhibits the fourth highest maternal mortality rate in the region (119 deaths every 100,000 live births), according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). It is only preceded by Bolivia, Haiti, and San Kitts & Nevis.Dominican Health Minister Altagracia Guzmán indicated that around 30 per cent of the women dying of delivery-related complications in the country are undocumented Haitians."They are mainly affected by high-blood pressure, hemorrhage and sepsis," she added."We have established a commission to identify the causes of death of these women and conduct medical and social audits," she said."Local authorities cannot leave them unattended, although this certainly increases national expenses," she concluded.

Health care, a universal rightWhile Rodríguez recognizes that health care is a universal right, the current situation is really difficult to manage."A couple of months ago, a hospital in Santiago, for example, had 10 Haitian pregnant women requesting hospitalization on the same day and at the same time," he recalled."The facility did not have the capacity to admit them and referred them to another hospital," he remarked."Around 90 per cent of deliveries at hospitals on the border involve Haitian women. We have asked the Armed Forces and the General Migration Division to further increase access control," he emphasized.

An old, controversial issueOn February 25, 2016, the former Brigadier General of the Army in the Dominican Republic told El Nacional that mafia groups were regularly bringing Haitian pregnant women and children to the country.Last June 9, MPs and senators discussed the issue and announced that the Dominican government was spending 5.2 billion pesos (over 112 million dollars) a year on medical care for Haitian women.Dominican Liberation Party senator Manuel Güíchardo indicated on August 24 that there is an urgent need for coordination between the national Migration Division and the Ministry of Public Health to address this situation.

Social networksFacebook and Twitter have disseminated information on the daily crossing of buses packed with Haitian pregnant women. They plan to give birth at Dominican public hospitals with the hope that their children acquire Dominican nationality."Over 20 per cent of the budget of the Dominican Ministry of Public Health goes to medical care for undocumented people," the networks said.

By Mercedes AlonsoSanto Domingo, July (SEMlac). - A report of the Human Rights Unit at the Prosecutor's Office indicates that there were 69 cases of abuse against older people in the country between January and June 2017.Ana V. Peralta (60) was raped; Evangelista Méndez (71) was raped and killed; Enriquillo Encarnación (90) and José B. Peralta (69) endured aggravated assault; Patricia Ramírez (74) is still in critical condition after attempted rape; María Pérez (70) and Juana Argot (59) were raped in their own houses; María Rosa (68) was murdered; and Isabel M. Llaverías (90) was raped and strangled.Reporter Wanda Méndez had an article published by Listín Daily last July 3, urging to reflect on these and many other cases whose perpetrators have had detention orders issued against them.Danissa Cruz, an attorney specializing in older people affairs and heading the Human Rights Unit at the Prosecutor's Office, told SEMlac that the National Council for Senior Citizens provides constant follow up to cases.No public policiesCruz indicated that family desertion is the main cause of vulnerability for older people in the country."Awareness-raising campaigns should be conducted under better protection policies for this population group," she stressed.There are around one million people over 60 in the Dominican Republic today. By 2025, one every five will be an older person, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Vulnerable womenEstimates show that there are 700 million people over 60 in the world today and that they will total two billion by 2050 (over 20 per cent of the global population).In the Dominican Republic, around 80 per cent of those over 60 live in urban areas and are marginalized and/or underprivileged, according to a study disseminated over the Internet by Dr. Rosy Pereyra, executive director of the Institute for Grandparents at the International Longevity Center.Ten per cent of older people live on their own, and life expectancy stands at 72 for women and 68 for men.

It is indispensable to promote inclusive policiesEl Día newspaper published on October 2, 2015 an official declaration by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin.He asked: what can we do to make our cities more inclusive? And he answered: we can ensure that both young and old people are integrated into urban planning and that all their needs are duly taken into account."The inclusiveness of older people in urban areas is very much in line with the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nobody should be left behind," he stressed.This is just a dream in the Dominican Republic, a country that exhibits the highest economic growth rate in the entire region.Osotimehin urged political leaders and city planners to pay special attention to older people when developing housing, transportation and other basic social projects.

By Mercedes AlonsoSanto Domingo, July (SEMlac). - A report of the Human Rights Unit at the Prosecutor's Office indicates that there were 69 cases of abuse against older people in the country between January and June 2017.Ana V. Peralta (60) was raped; Evangelista Méndez (71) was raped and killed; Enriquillo Encarnación (90) and José B. Peralta (69) endured aggravated assault; Patricia Ramírez (74) is still in critical condition after attempted rape; María Pérez (70) and Juana Argot (59) were raped in their own houses; María Rosa (68) was murdered; and Isabel M. Llaverías (90) was raped and strangled.Reporter Wanda Méndez had an article published by Listín Daily last July 3, urging to reflect on these and many other cases whose perpetrators have had detention orders issued against them.Danissa Cruz, an attorney specializing in older people affairs and heading the Human Rights Unit at the Prosecutor's Office, told SEMlac that the National Council for Senior Citizens provides constant follow up to cases.No public policiesCruz indicated that family desertion is the main cause of vulnerability for older people in the country."Awareness-raising campaigns should be conducted under better protection policies for this population group," she stressed.There are around one million people over 60 in the Dominican Republic today. By 2025, one every five will be an older person, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Vulnerable womenEstimates show that there are 700 million people over 60 in the world today and that they will total two billion by 2050 (over 20 per cent of the global population).In the Dominican Republic, around 80 per cent of those over 60 live in urban areas and are marginalized and/or underprivileged, according to a study disseminated over the Internet by Dr. Rosy Pereyra, executive director of the Institute for Grandparents at the International Longevity Center.Ten per cent of older people live on their own, and life expectancy stands at 72 for women and 68 for men.

It is indispensable to promote inclusive policiesEl Día newspaper published on October 2, 2015 an official declaration by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin.He asked: what can we do to make our cities more inclusive? And he answered: we can ensure that both young and old people are integrated into urban planning and that all their needs are duly taken into account."The inclusiveness of older people in urban areas is very much in line with the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nobody should be left behind," he stressed.This is just a dream in the Dominican Republic, a country that exhibits the highest economic growth rate in the entire region.Osotimehin urged political leaders and city planners to pay special attention to older people when developing housing, transportation and other basic social projects.

Mexico, July (SEMlac). - The Justice for Women Centers (CEJUMs) have been established under a major public policy seeking to combat gender violence and provide victims with care.These facilities, however, lack legal and institutional support, and effective operational programs and staff regulations.They were created in 2010 by the Ministry of the Interior's National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM). There are 31 centers currently operating in 21 states of the Republic.According to the CONAVIM website, the idea is to follow the international recommendations formulated, for example, by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Justice for Women (NGO) recently prepared a report on the current condition of these centers and identified three local authorities in charge of their operation: Governor's Offices (20), Prosecutor's Offices (8), and Legislative Power (1). They have been included, however, in basic rather than federal laws.Most centers are under the umbrella of Prosecutor's Offices (13), Co-Prosecutors' Offices (8), Women's Secretariats (4), the Ministry of the Interior (3), the Executive Commissions for Victim Care (2), and the Secretariat for Public Safety (1).For instance, the center in Pachuca (Hidalgo), which is directly under the umbrella of the Ministry of the Interior, finds it easier to get involved in intersectoral coordination and decision-making.The report also indicated that there are no standardized goals, membership criteria, and roles for all centers."Some articles of association even contain gender stereotypes," it added.Out of 31 centers, 11 have no eligibility criteria for directors and those who have them do not include training and/or experience in key issues like gender, human rights, and specialized victim care.Over 97 per cent of the center's staff in Mexico City comes from other units, while 100 per cent of the staff in Chiapas works full-time for the center.A total of 18 facilities have staff evaluation mechanisms in place, but they have not always been designed from a gender perspective and a truly comprehensive approach to violence.The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM) is in charge of allocating resources to the centers under established guidelines.The study has revealed, however, that resource allocation is not in keeping with specific needs and socio-demographic characteristics."The center in Zacatecas had budget allocations available in 2014, but started up operations in 2016," it added.Only 11 centers have developed annual operational programs; six are putting them together now; four have no programs in the making; and seven have provided no information on this matter.The articles of association should include establishing a secretariat to collaborate and coordinate actions with other secretariats for the provision of interdisciplinary services.The secretariats should be decentralized, have legal personality, capital and budget of their own, and discourage gender stereotypes.The idea is also to set up transparency and accounting mechanisms for smooth resource implementation.After the report was developed, five civil organizations (Justice for Women, Kookay Alternative Social Science, Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity in Oaxaca, Rosario Castellanos Women's Study Center in Oaxaca, and No More Murders in Yucatan) agreed to implement a pilot project for public auditing through an observatory for all CEJUMs. It was launched last July 11 in the capital city."This will make it possible to provide violence victims with better care," said Adelaida Salas, leader of No More Murders.Ximena Avellaneda, director of GesMujer in Oaxaca, indicated that there have been 73 women's murders since last December, when a new six-year term began for the state government."We do not know how many of these murders are actually being investigated," she regretted."In Oaxaca, a second center has not started up operations in the municipality of Juchitán due to CONAVIM budget cuts. This is really contradictory because the idea should be to prioritize the prevention of violence against women," she concluded.

Mexico, July (SEMlac). - The Justice for Women Centers (CEJUMs) have been established under a major public policy seeking to combat gender violence and provide victims with care.These facilities, however, lack legal and institutional support, and effective operational programs and staff regulations.They were created in 2010 by the Ministry of the Interior's National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM). There are 31 centers currently operating in 21 states of the Republic.According to the CONAVIM website, the idea is to follow the international recommendations formulated, for example, by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Justice for Women (NGO) recently prepared a report on the current condition of these centers and identified three local authorities in charge of their operation: Governor's Offices (20), Prosecutor's Offices (8), and Legislative Power (1). They have been included, however, in basic rather than federal laws.Most centers are under the umbrella of Prosecutor's Offices (13), Co-Prosecutors' Offices (8), Women's Secretariats (4), the Ministry of the Interior (3), the Executive Commissions for Victim Care (2), and the Secretariat for Public Safety (1).For instance, the center in Pachuca (Hidalgo), which is directly under the umbrella of the Ministry of the Interior, finds it easier to get involved in intersectoral coordination and decision-making.The report also indicated that there are no standardized goals, membership criteria, and roles for all centers."Some articles of association even contain gender stereotypes," it added.Out of 31 centers, 11 have no eligibility criteria for directors and those who have them do not include training and/or experience in key issues like gender, human rights, and specialized victim care.Over 97 per cent of the center's staff in Mexico City comes from other units, while 100 per cent of the staff in Chiapas works full-time for the center.A total of 18 facilities have staff evaluation mechanisms in place, but they have not always been designed from a gender perspective and a truly comprehensive approach to violence.The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM) is in charge of allocating resources to the centers under established guidelines.The study has revealed, however, that resource allocation is not in keeping with specific needs and socio-demographic characteristics."The center in Zacatecas had budget allocations available in 2014, but started up operations in 2016," it added.Only 11 centers have developed annual operational programs; six are putting them together now; four have no programs in the making; and seven have provided no information on this matter.The articles of association should include establishing a secretariat to collaborate and coordinate actions with other secretariats for the provision of interdisciplinary services.The secretariats should be decentralized, have legal personality, capital and budget of their own, and discourage gender stereotypes.The idea is also to set up transparency and accounting mechanisms for smooth resource implementation.After the report was developed, five civil organizations (Justice for Women, Kookay Alternative Social Science, Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity in Oaxaca, Rosario Castellanos Women's Study Center in Oaxaca, and No More Murders in Yucatan) agreed to implement a pilot project for public auditing through an observatory for all CEJUMs. It was launched last July 11 in the capital city."This will make it possible to provide violence victims with better care," said Adelaida Salas, leader of No More Murders.Ximena Avellaneda, director of GesMujer in Oaxaca, indicated that there have been 73 women's murders since last December, when a new six-year term began for the state government."We do not know how many of these murders are actually being investigated," she regretted."In Oaxaca, a second center has not started up operations in the municipality of Juchitán due to CONAVIM budget cuts. This is really contradictory because the idea should be to prioritize the prevention of violence against women," she concluded.

By Gabriela RamírezMexico, May (SEMlac). - A total of 44 women, including activists and journalists, have been killed since 2010, according to the National Network of Human Rights Defenders.The most recent case was that of Miriam Rodríguez, who was riddled with bullets in her home last May 10.This situation has sparked a wide range of reactions among civil society and international organizations. A Network representative said that Chihuahua is the Mexican state with the highest number of attacks on women defenders. In 2010, Josefina Reyes, Marisela Escobedo, María I. Cordero, María M. Reyes and Luisa Ornelas were killed.In 2011, Susana Chávez was also killed. She had been reporting cases of missing women in Juarez and women's murders on the border. In 2017, Miroslava Breach got killed and Patricia Mayorga had to seek asylum in the United States.In Guerrero, the list of women's murders includes María E. Hernández (2010), Isabel Ayala and Reyna Ayala (2011), Juventina Villa and Fabiola Osorio (2012), Rocío Mesino and Ana L. Gatica (2013), and Norma A. Bruno (2015)."There other states where the number of women's murders has been increasing: Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, the state of Mexico and Mexico City," the Network representative stressed.

Murdered mothersMarisela Escobedo was shot dead in Chihuahua on December 16, 2010, at the entrance to the Government Palace, after a sit-in to demand justice for her daughter, who was killed by her sexual partner Sergio R. Barraza.He was first found not guilty, but was later sentenced to 50 years in prison. The truth is that he has not been taken to jail yet.Sandra L. Hernández was murdered in Sinaloa on May 12, 2014. A man named Jesús F. Valenzuela shot her dead and was found not guilty a year later.She had for two years looked for her son Edgar García, who had been kidnapped while working as a messenger for the Prosecutor-General's Office in the city.Cornelia San Juan died in the state of Mexico on January 15, 2016. She had been looking for her son Oswaldo Espejel since 2012, when he was kidnapped. Cornelia's murderer was caught, but there has been no news about Oswaldo.Emma G. Molina was killed on March 27, 2017. She had sought to find her three children who had been kidnapped by their own father Alberto Medina, a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party in Tabasco. Two men slit her throat at the entrance door to her house. Her mother Ligia Canto has decided to take action and demand justice.Miriam Rodríguez was shot dead in her house last May 10. She had tried to find her daughter Karen Alejandra, who had gone missing in 2012. She found her remains in a common grave and managed to put her murderers in jail. She was a founding member of Colectivo Desaparecidos de Tamaulipas (an organization for missing people in Tamaulipas).A report of the National Human Rights Commission indicated that a total of 29,903 people had gone missing between 2007 and 2013.A total of 855 illegal graves had been discovered in this period, the report added.Around 82 per cent of the cases of disappearances have been seen in 11 states, mainly in Tamaulipas (5,563 cases) and the state of Mexico (2,984 cases).The New York Times recently published an interview with local women who have helped find and exhume 263 bodies from a grave in Veracruz.

The world speaks upAfter the recent murder of Mirian Rodríguez, European Union (EU) Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini highlighted the need to conduct thorough, independent and comprehensive investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice."Authorities should also ensure the adoption of the preventive measures necessary for the effective protection of the human rights of defenders and journalists," she added.Amnesty International (AI) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico have demanded prompt clarification of Rodríguez' case.They have also asked the Mexican government to guarantee the effective protection of all victims and their families.

Santo Domingo, May (SEMlac). - Facing the painting of founding father Juan P. Duarte, in a classroom, two girls wrestle and trade punches on the floor, while their classmates simply look at them or utter provocative phrases. In another school, a girl is attacked by a boy, opposite to the teacher.The Dominican Republic ranks fifth on the list of Latin American countries with the highest number of cases of bullying.Education minister Andrés Navarro announced that a high-level commission has been established to review all cases of sexual, physical and psychological abuse at school.He also announced that a standing committee will be working in close coordination with the Prosecutor-General's Office in this connection.

Teachers are unable to keep control in classExperts told TV show Enfoque Matinal last May 16 that bullying has reached alarming proportions in many local schools.Luis Vergés, director of the Behavioral Intervention Center for Men, highlighted the need to build appropriate school settings for all students.Anthropologist Tahira Vargas urged to immediately address the difficulties that teachers are facing to manage this phenomenon.Family therapist Rafaela Burgos said that this situation has a very negative impact on students.Last May 16, a press report indicated that a lecture on adolescents aged 13 to 15 and acts of violence in public schools, which was delivered by researchers Henry Parada, Rafaela Burgos and María E. Asuad from Ryerson University in Canada, provided updated information along these lines.Over 37 per cent of the male students included in their survey admitted enduring extreme social violence situations, witnessing crimes, and/or having been involved in street gang beatings.Around 35 per cent of the girls said they have witnessed murders and got involved in bullying.Asuad indicated that in the southern communities, where poverty conditions prevail, female adolescents are even more exposed to physical and psychological abuse.

Focusing on the problemThese researchers feel that the Dominican State should focus on increased violence, as it affects students, their families and even public-health initiatives.Last November 25, the Ministry of Education implemented the United-Nations-promoted Orange Day (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls).The current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include gender equality and women's empowerment as issues of priority.Experts believe that there is a pressing need to promote respect for all individuals and human dignity in the country.

By Sylvia TorresManagua, April (SEMlac). - "Nicaragua, a country where people are overwhelmed by unemployment, bribery, and poor social services, ranks 43 out of the 157 happiest nations on Earth," said Bertha M. Sánchez, a young feminist born in Chinandega. In this context, IPA director Marta M. Blandón published a report showing that, since President Daniel Ortega took office, over 16,400 girls have been raped and/or forced to become mothers.She regretted that society is more concerned about boxing than about sexual abuse. "That should not be tolerated," she stressed.The happiness index, in which Nicaragua has made some progress as compared to 2015, was developed by economist Jeffrey Sachs for the United Nations System.The relevant report is based on variables such as the per capital Gross Domestic Product, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make decisions, generosity, and perception of corruption. Magaly Quintana, a leader of Catholics for the Right to Choose in Nicaragua, asked the following question: who did the people who put together the report listen to? "They must have listened to those interested in hiding women's murders," she noted. Last year, police authorities merely recognized 11 murders, while her observatory set the total number at 49."Had Nicaragua seen only 11 women's murders in 2016, we would have been really happy," she remarked. According to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, there were 4,923 sexual violence reports issued last year. Over 51 per cent of them involved girls and boys in 28 out of 153 municipalities."There have been 14 women's murders so far this year," the source said. Juanita Jiménez, a leader of the Autonomous Women's Movement, told local media representatives that, according to statistical data, the number of unresolved cases had moved from 4,363 in 2015 up to 9,774 in 2016."This situation is very serious," she concluded.

Mexico, April (SEMlac). - The number of cases of political violence against women has grown by over 300 per cent in the last three years.Santiago Nieto, an attorney specialized in electoral crime, recently indicated that the state of Guerrero alone had seen 38 cases in the 2015 elections."There had been only two cases in the 2012 elections," he recalled.In the 2017 elections, there have so far been acts of political violence in six states (Baja California, Campeche, Coahuila, Jalisco, Veracruz, and Oaxaca), out of a total of 32.Women endure this type of violence even after they become local governors and MPs.

Current electionsState of MexicoThere are three women nominated for governors in the state of Mexico: Delfina Gómez (National Regeneration Movement), Josefina Vázquez (National Action Party), and Teresa Castell (an independent candidate).Acts of political violence were seen right after the process began. Gómez announced that the National Action Party and the Democratic Revolution Party had strongly attacked her on the social networks.She said she had never had an affair with the former mayor accused of masterminding the event whereby 43 primary school teachers in Ayotzinapa had gone missing.In 2016, the Attorney's Office for Electoral Crimes (FEPADE) had reported a couple of cases and, a year later, Mónica Fragoso, former candidate to mayor in Toluca, announced she had been expelled from the National Action Party by Genaro Martínez, a local leader, just because she was a woman.Last October, Yomali Mondragón, an MP representing the Democratic Revolution Party, submitted a bill to the legislature seeking to amend the law on women's right to a violence-free society. However, no progress has been made along these lines.

CoahuilaThe election process covers local government bodies, regional councils, and town halls. Mary Thelam, of the Democratic Revolution Party, is the only woman running for governor.Gabriela León, former president of the Observatory on Women's Political Participation in Coahuila, recently indicated that, while women account for 52 per cent of the electoral roll, many still think that they are not good nominees.In 2016, the Electoral Institute in Coahuila rejected a proposal to appoint Heidi E. Hernández alderwoman.FEPADE undertook an investigation in early 2017, shortly after a local council member had been harassed by political party leaders.

NayaritThe process involves local government bodies, regional councils, and town halls. There is no woman running for governor.In September 2015, MP coordinator Sonia Ibarra submitted a bill against political crimes.In 2016, FEPADE investigated some actions aimed at hindering the electoral functions of council members in Nayarit.

VeracruzElections cover 212 town halls. Half of nominees are women.In June 2016, the state Congress adopted a bill incorporating gender-based political violence into the law on women's right to a violence-free society.There have been no political-violence reports made public so far.

Federal levelLast March 9, the Senate adopted a bill sanctioning gender-based political violence.It established that this form of political violence includes pressure, persecution, harassment, coercion, humiliation, discrimination, threats, etc.Fines range from 50 to 200 dollars and imprisonment, from six months to six years.

Major changesChiapasRosa Pérez, municipal president in San Pedro Chenalhó (Chiapas), representing the Green Party of Mexico, won the elections on July 19, 2015 and, on May 25, 2016, the local Congress requested her resignation. On August 17, 2016, the Electoral Court asked her to get back to her position. There have been, however, no conditions created for such a move.

GuerreroFelicitas Muñoz, municipal president in Culiacan (Guerrero), representing the Citizen Movement, won the elections on June 7, 2015 and took office on September 31 of that year. In May 2016, three aldermen accused her of misappropriation, but produced no evidence whatsoever.Her house was hit by bullets, and she has not been able to govern from the town hall because it has been taken over by her assailants."These are clear manifestations of political violence that seek to prevent women from fully exercising their political rights," said former senator Martha Tagle.

OaxacaThere have been around 20 cases of political violence duly documented in Oaxaca, especially in San Pedro Atoyac, Santiago Pinotepa, Santiago Lachiguiri, Santo Domingo Zanatepec, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Cuicatlán, San Juan Bautista de Soto, San Dionisio del Mar, San Pablo Huixtepec, San José Independencia, Santiago Xanica, San Martín Peras, Valle Nacional, San Andrés Cabecera Nueva, San Juan Cotzocón and, more recently, in San Esteban Atatlahuca.Samantha Caballero, municipal president in San Juan Bautista del Soto (Oaxaca), representing the Independent Revolution Party, won the elections on June 5, 2016. Several days before she took office, she was harassed, but did not give in.However, she has not been able to perform her functions as she should for security reasons.Yareli Cariño, a lawyer born in Pinotepa, was invited to run for governor in 2016. She was soon sexually harassed by a local MP.Irma Aguilar, municipal president in San Pedro Atoyac, indicated that she has been threatened, insulted, physically attacked, and requested to resign.

By Alba TrejoGuatemala, March (SEMlac). - A ship of the international pro-abortion NGO Women on Waves sparked controversy at the port of San José when it urged women up to 10 weeks pregnant to have abortion procedures performed on board if they so wished. Local MPs, religious leaders and government authorities, including president Jimmy Morales, strongly opposed such an "aberration."The treatment offered by Women on Waves consisted of two abortive bills and advisory services on board.A report of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicated that a child gestated after rape is born every day in Guatemala and that around 65,000 women resort to illegal abortion every year.Sixty per cent of the 17-million population is Catholic and goes to mass every Sunday.There were 6,729 visits and 2,000 comments on Facebook alone, while the press release entitled Local authorities have expelled an abortion ship one day after arrival was read by 3,213 people and commented on by another 443.Ana S. Monzón, a feminist activist, indicated that three centuries of women's struggles and demands were simply erased in one fell swoop.Carolina Vásquez emphasized that women's rights have on this occasion been trampled upon, without taking any notice of the consequences."Those who protested against the ship will not look after the babies, so they should not interfere," said Edelnilson Hernández.Flor Molina recalled that abortion-related mother mortality is the third cause of death for local women at present.